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Everything Is Falling Apart: 20 Facts That You Will Not Want To Read If You Still Want To Feel Good About America’s Decaying Infrastructure

By Michael Snyder, on January 5th, 2011

If you haven’t noticed lately, America is literally falling apart all around us. Decaying infrastructure is everywhere. Our roads and bridges are crumbling and are full of holes. Our rail system is ancient. Our airports and runways have definitely seen their better days. Aging sewer systems all over the country are leaking raw sewage all over the place. The power grid is straining to keep up with the ever-increasing thirst of the American people for electricity. Dams are failing at an unprecedented rate. Virtually all of our ports are handling far more traffic than they were ever intended to handle. Meanwhile, our national spending on infrastructure is way down. Back during the 1950s and 1960s we were spending between 3 and 4 percent of our national GDP on infrastructure, but today we are spending less than 2.5 percent of our national GDP on it. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, we need to spend approximately $2.2 trillion on infrastructure repairs and upgrades just to bring our existing infrastructure up to “good condition”.

Does anyone have an extra $2.2 trillion to spare?

If you get the feeling that America is decaying as you drive around this great country of ours, it is not just your imagination. It is literally happening.

You should not read the list of facts below if you want to keep feeling good about the condition of America’s infrastructure. There really is no way to sugar-coat what is happening. Previous generations handed us the greatest national infrastructure that anyone in the world has ever seen and we have neglected it and have allowed it to badly deteriorate.

#1 One-third of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

#2 Traffic on more than half the miles of interstate highway exceeds 70 percent of capacity, and nearly 25 percent of the miles are strained at more than 95 percent of capacity.

#3 Americans waste 4.2 billion hours and 2.8 billion gallons fuel a year sitting in traffic – equal to nearly one full work week and three weeks’ worth of gas for every traveler.

#4 Over the next 30 years, our nation is expected to grow by 100 million and highway traffic will double again. Even if highway capacity grows no faster than in the last 25 years, Americans can expect to spend 160 hours – 4 work weeks – each year in traffic by 2035.

#5 Nearly a third of all highway fatalities are due to substandard road conditions, obsolete road designs, or roadside hazards.

#6 Over 4,095 dams are “unsafe” and have deficiencies that leave them more susceptible to failure, especially during large flood events or earthquakes.

#7 Rolling blackouts and inefficiencies in the U.S. electrical grid cost an estimated $80 billion a year.

#8 By 2020, every major U.S. container port is projected to at least double the volume of cargo it was designed to handle. Some East Coast ports will triple in volume, and some West Coast ports will quadruple.

#9 Other countries are leapfrogging past us by investing in world-class ports. China is investing $6.9 billion; the port of Shanghai now has almost as much container capacity as all U.S. ports combined.

#10 By 2020, China plans to build 55,000 miles of highways, more than the total length of the U.S. interstate system.

*****

The rest of these facts were compiled from various sources around the Internet. The more research that you do into America’s decaying infrastructure the more depressing it becomes….

#11 According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 25 percent of America’s nearly 600,000 bridges need significant repairs or are burdened with more traffic than they were designed to carry.

#13 All across the United States, conditions at many state parks, recreation areas and historic sites are deplorable at best. Some states have backlogs of repair projects that are now over a billion dollars long. The following is a quote from a recent MSNBC article about these project backlogs….

More than a dozen states estimate that their backlogs are at least $100 million. Massachusetts and New York’s are at least $1 billion. Hawaii officials called park conditions “deplorable” in a December report asking for $50 million per year for five years to tackle a $240 million backlog that covers parks, trails and harbors.

#15 All over America, asphalt roads are being ground up and are being replaced with gravel because it is cheaper to maintain. The state of South Dakota has transformed over 100 miles of asphalt road into gravel over the past year, and 38 out of the 83 counties in the state of Michigan have transformed at least some of their asphalt roads into gravel roads.

So why don’t our state and local governments just spend the money necessary to fix all of these problems?

Well, they can’t spend the money because they are flat broke.

Just consider some of the financial problems that state and local governments around the nation are facing right now….

#19 Major cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and Sacramento are so desperate to save money that they have instituted “rolling brownouts” in which various city fire stations are shut down on a rotating basis throughout the week.

#20 Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has come up with a unique way to save money. He wants to cut 20 percent of Detroit off from essential social services such as road repairs, police patrols, functioning street lights and garbage collection.

But it just isn’t local governments that are in deep trouble right now. In fact, there are quite a few state governments that are complete and total financial disaster zones at this point.

According to 60 Minutes, the state of Illinois is at least six months behind on their bill payments. 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Croft recently asked Illinois state Comptroller Dan Hynes how many people and organizations are waiting to be paid by the state, and this is how Hynes responded….

“It’s fair to say that there are tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people waiting to be paid by the state.”

But if states get cut off from all the debt that they need to operate, things are going to get a lot worse very quickly.

Already we are seeing all kinds of troubling signs. For example, the state of Arizona recently decided to stop paying for many types of organ transplants for people enrolled in its Medicaid program.

Sadly, as much as our politicians try to “fix” our problems, things just only seem to keep getting worse.

One prominent illustration of this is our health care system. Our health care system is absolutely falling apart all around us. Thanks to the new health care reform law, doctors are flocking out of the profession in droves. According to an absolutely stunning new poll, 40 percent of all U.S. doctors plan to bail out of the profession over the next three years.

Our economy continues to fall apart as well. The number of personal bankruptcies in the United States continues to set stunning new highs. According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, more than 1.53 million Americans filed bankruptcy petitions in 2010. This was up 9 percent from 1.41 million in 2009.

Not only that, but the housing crisis shows no signs of abating. 382,000 new foreclosures were initiated during the third quarter of 2010. This was up 31.2 percent from the previous quarter and it was 3.7 percent higher than the third quarter of 2009.

The U.S. banking system is also falling apart. In 2006, no U.S. banks failed. In 2009, 140 U.S. banks failed. So did things get better in 2010? No. In 2010, 157 U.S. banks failed.

Unemployment continues to remain at depressingly high levels, and in many areas of the country it is getting even worse. According to the U.S. Labor Department, the unemployment rate rose in two-thirds of America’s largest metro areas during November.

Millions of Americans have become so disgusted with the job market that they have given up altogether. The number of people who are so discouraged that they have completely given up searching for work now stands at an all-time high.

So who is doing a booming business during these hard times? Welfare agencies and food banks are. During this economic downturn, millions of American families have found themselves going to a food bank for the very first time ever.

It is getting harder and harder for average American families to feed themselves. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 29 percent of Americans say that it is hard to afford food, and 48 of Americans say that it is hard to afford their heating and electric bills.

So is there any hope for the future? Well, our new college graduates are supposed to lead us into the future, but most of them are saddled with overwhelming amounts of student loan debt. Those who graduated during 2009 had an average of $24,000 in student loan debt. This represented a 6 percent increase from the previous year.

Not only that, but these new college grads are not finding jobs. According to the one recent report, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates was 8.7 percent in 2009. This was up from 5.8 percent in 2008, and it was the highest unemployment rate ever recorded for college graduates between the ages of 20 to 24.

As if all of this was not bad enough, now the Baby Boomers are starting to reach retirement age. Beginning January 1st, 2011 every single day more than 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach the age of 65. That is going to keep happening every single day for the next 19 years.

So where in the world are we going to come up with all of the money to give them the retirement benefits that they are due?

The truth is that we are flat broke as a nation and so America’s decaying infrastructure is going to continue to decay. We don’t have the money to repair what we already have, much less add desperately needed new infrastructure.

But perhaps it is only fitting. The decay of our roads and cities will match the deep social, moral and political decay that has already been going on in this country for decades.

So will the American people awaken soon enough to be able to recapture the legacy of greatness that previous generations tried to pass on to us?

Unfortunately, the vast majority of our politicians are completely incompetent. Posted below is a short video from Tim Hawkins that is absolutely hilarious but that also demonstrates just how incompetent our government really is….

Hey-lets give the rich more tax breaks, lets let billionaire hedge fund people say their income is capital gains and only let them pay 15% tax. This has worked so well for us in the past. Look at how wonderful things are now that the rich have had many tax breaks since like forever.

Oh sorry-I was having a nightmare that I was becoming a republican. Back to reality.

All of these issues could be fixed if we simply made the rich pay their fair share by taxing them HARD and spreading the wealth. (do not just look at federal taxes, look at ALL taxes-they do not come close to paying their fair share). Its not their money anyway as they have stolen it from the working people by pocketing our productivity increases causing our wages to stagnate. Their wealth is our money! I want it back.

Tax the greedy to help the needy and tax the wealthy to keep us healthy!

http://facebook.com/thnksmarter Blake

I know who has $2.2 trillion. Rumsfeld announced $2.3 trillion went unaccounted for on 9/10/2001. Make him foot the bill

Tom

Republicans want tax cuts for millionaires! ANother trillion added to our debt and no improvements. Republicans will make us a 3rd worl country.

john

Ok, in the 1950’s and 60’s we spent between 3 and 4 percent of our GDP on infrastructure. Now we spend 2.5% on infrastructure, this figure is nowhere near accurate when compared to the 50’s and 60’s due to the much more bloated budgets that while away the money on environmental reviews and ballooning administrative overhead we have now… we probably are actually spending about 1% (or less) on actual work performed and materials used, the rest is spent on sexual harassment training and formulating a 90 page documents on the possible environmental impacts of widening a ditch or a road. It is total B.S.

a cruel accountant

Cry me a river!

Quit your belly aching and man UP!

http://nakedonastrangeplanet.com nakedplanet2

What is the answer to all of this? It seems beyond repairing. But maybe the real question is: how did we all become so dependent on governments for our lives, our welfare and our hope for the future? I think the first step we need to make as individuals is to learn to take care of ourselves and become more independent and less dependent on the governments that take 1/3 of our lives (at least) in taxes every year so that they can provide for and take care of us. This article explains some of the first steps that we each need to take in order to disentangle ourselves from this runaway and failing economy and to concentrate on what’s really important in life.

stephen

Sometimes you need to do a little fact checking. Just because you breathlessly shout about a terrible statistic does not make that statistic true.

You said : #4 Over the next 30 years, our nation is expected to grow by 100 million and highway traffic will double again. Even if highway capacity grows no faster than in the last 25 years, Americans can expect to spend 160 hours – 4 work weeks – each year in traffic by 2035. Can you posit a scenario where we will add 90 million more people in the next 25 years?

According to the 2010 census, US population grew to approx. 309 million from 300 million in 2000. At our current % growth (about 3% every 10 years), the population would be approx. 318 million in 2020, 327 million in 2030 and about 331 million in 2035. Sort of takes the wind out of your argument, no?

http://brunolem.wordpress.com Brunolem

“Does anyone have an extra $2.2 trillion to spare?”

Me! Me! Come see Benny!
Do you want those in 100 billion dollars notes, or in 500?

The US infrastructure is decaying for religious reasons.

This Administration, and the previous one, have decided to help their Muslim cousins, from Iraq and Afghanistan, to rebuild their countries, devastated by war.

Rebuilding actually costs a lot of money.

First, they have to pay for the local High Priests, such as the Karzai Brothers, and ensure their protection, with the help of non-profit organizations, such as Blackwater.

Then, they have to pay for the local warlords.

The latter, In exchange for a few billions and a promise of not destroying their shipments of basic staple, such as marijuana, opium and so on…, promise they will not destroy the roads the US build for their trucks.

In the past ten years or so, US financial efforts have allowed Iraq and Afghanistan to put their infrastructure back to where it was in 1950.

Not bad, but of course, there is still much more to do!

Meanwhile, the good Americans citizens will have to wait and pray, either with the Bible, or with the Coran. No problem between cousins…

Click on my name to visit my blog.

Susan

Alot of people think we are doomed, but there are still great ways to make money. Even while the economy is collapsing around us.

I subscribe to the guy from australia and his FFT economic newsletter at http://www.forecastfortomorrow.com that guy has called many big events before they have happend, including the stock market crash in 2008 and the current financial collapse of the US. (currently happening) I found him from a friend last year, and he has some important work.

His oil calls are insane, and I have been making good money with them. He is well worth a look, if you want to keep two steps ahead of the sheeple out there.

I am worried about my financial future. Is anyone else nervous out there?

JLouise

This is an interesting article. Just one question: We’re broke. So how can the incoming cargo at our ports double, tripple down the line? How can we be receiving even more goods when we don’t have the money to maintain the imports we get? I forsee China pulling the plug on a lot of items they export because our currency is devaluing to the point where they are losing money from the time it leaves China to the time it reaches our port.

mondobeyondo

Sure! Helicopter Ben “Santa Claus” Bernanke has $2.2 trillion for ya! Just ask him to wiggle his magic fingers, and poof! It is done!

Of course, the money won’t go where it is really needed, and that is the crux of the problem. Money hasn’t gone where it is really needed for a while now. Among other things, it goes to a military-industrial complex with an infinite appetite for greenbacks.

It is a shame to see this country falling apart. Back in 1956, President Eisenhower got interstate highways constructed. Our highway system was the best in the world. And then we dropped the ball.

If only we had the foresight… to think of what a great rail system we could have had.
Los Angeles to New York via high speed rail, in less than 24 hours… it could have been ours. Europe, Japan and now even China have bullet trains. I don’t know of a single bullet train in operation in the U.S. We’re stuck with Amtrak. And even Amtrak has been in serious financial trouble. Are they next on the Big Bailout List?

We used to have the money to fix our now disintegrating infrastructure. The money was squandered. Now we’re broke. That highway bridge that fell in Minneapolis a few years ago, was only the beginning. There are many more to come.

The Postal Service recently said that “forever stamps” will be permanent. Why are they doing this? Is it any guarantee that my little Liberty Bell stamps will still be good in 2019? Hell, just slap a picture of Snow White on them, and call them “Happily Ever After” stamps.

Uh-huh. We’re falling apart, all right…

http://www.worldsalvation.info/ Herve

This is only the beginning. Heard of peak oil? We have a systemic risk on our hands, and that combined with deregulation and individual greed explains most of what is happening today.

+ Declining oil and energy flows will increase economic costs and reduce global economic production. Reduced global production will undermine society’s ability to produce goods and services, to trade, and to produce and use energy

+ Declining energy flows makes it impossible to maintain the economic production required to service debt. When outstanding debt cannot be repaid, the world’s economy will collapse as the banks will become insolvent and won’t be able to facilitate transactions

+ The global economy and supply-chains are highly dependent on the operation of highly co-dependent critical infrastructure such as energy and water distribution, transportation, waste disposal, food, finance, telecommunications, and Internet technologies. Those infrastructures depend on continual re-supply of energy, materials and short-lifetime components, large economies of scale and the operation of the monetary and financial system. The interdependence of the infrastructures is likely to cause rapidly increasing risks of systemic failure. Systemic failure in one infrastructure may cause cascading failure in the others.

+ Peak oil will induce the failure of our food production and distribution system, create extremely high inflation on food and water which will strip customers of their purchasing power. This will greatly exacerbate the economic crisis. Entire sectors of the economy such as leisure, tourism, recreational goods, fashion and so on will become irrelevant and will be devastated.

+ Insolvency amongst banks from a magnitude not yet experienced and widespread sovereign defaults will render any new investment in new energy technologies impossible. In particular, switching the whole economy to renewable energies – which would cost several trillion dollars – will be abandoned.

+ Given that many nations and their citizens are insolvent and on the brink of debt default, the next oil price shock and/or permanent increase in oil prices may push the global economy into complete insolvency and collapse.

+ The human carrying capacity of the Earth will be greatly reduced, potentially going back to pre-industrial times (less than 1 billion people world-wide).

We need to prepare now for a rapid and probably permanent energy descent.

This link will teach you how to stop foreclosures on your home, work with your sheriff to make sure he is following the Constitution and much more. There are talkshoe calls on Monday and Wednesday evenings plus the calls are recorded if you had to miss one. Join…we need MILLIONS on board.

The Survivalist Podcast is simply fabulous. I have listened to every single podcast and cannot wait for the next one. Jack is brilliant.

And don’t forget to pray.

William

Well, America, you did it to yourself. When Clinton left office, the federal government had four straight balanced, or in surplus, budgets. At that time, monies were being applied to pay down the national debt. The projected payoff date of the national debt was about 2015. In waltzes the Smirking Chimp and war criminal Bush in Jan of 2001. Bush cut taxes when we could not afford it. Then, after the Israeli attack on 911, Bush started an unnecessary war of choice in Iraq, borrowing the money to fight the war from China. Americans believed the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice/Tenet LIES. Yes, most Americans were cheering when the bombs and missiles began to fall in Iraq in March of 2003. Well, the collapse of America is DIRECTLY related to what Bush and the Republicans did. These no regulation/no oversight Republicans let the Wall St criminal trash run wild. Asleep at the switch Republicans at the unconstitutional Federal Reserve Bank, all supposed to be the ultimate experts on the economy, missed all the signs of the bubbles collapsing. Maybe that was deliberate. But, now in 2011, America is on her knees and dropping fast. So, the next time a tin pot dictator like Bush comes onto the scene, do not fall for the lies. You see the results.

Gary2

(Reuters) – Most Americans think the United States should raise taxes for the rich to balance the budget, according to a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll released on Monday.

Hate to break it to my detractors-most people agree with me-tax the rich spread the wealth.

I know who has another 2.2 trillion other than the money Rumsfeld was talking about – just not exactly – the 2.2 trillion that Congressman Bernie Sanders was questioning Bernanke about. Sanders – “Who received the 2.2 trillion dollars?” Bernanke – “Any domestic or foreign bank or corporation that has access to the Fed’s discount window.” Sanders – “Will you tell me which banks they were?” Bernanke – “No.”

That was a taunting and disrespectful answer – similar to the answer mobster Lucky Luciano gave before a Congressional Panel when asked – “What have you ever done for your country?” – Luciano “I pay my tax”. Comparatively Luciano’s answer was an acceptable answer even though he probably meant sales tax. He was also saying in a roundabout way that the people questioning him were bigger criminals than he was – he knew that an income tax (on labor) was unconstitutional. That’s what made it more acceptable than Bernanke’s response and also very funny.

Conclusion – The United States can not be defined as a sovereign country with the type of crap the people behind the Federal Reserve are pulling. It should be obvious with this type of crap that THEY THEMSELVES ARE NOT AMERICANS AND THEY DON’T EVEN LIVE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! WE NEED TO THROW THEM OUT!!!!!

You can not call yourself an American because when this type of crap can happen there is no America. Why would you even want to call yourself American anyway. We should all be hanging our heads in shame for allowing the people who control us to continue on with their worldwide agenda of evil and the infliction of terrible pain and suffering and death on many innocent people worldwide.

What we are allowing the U.S. to do has nothing to do with supporting Israel, and the ones calling the shots are not descendants of the tribe of Israel. They are descendants of the ones Jesus called sons of the devil and who he threw out of the temple by opening up a huge can of whoop-ass on them. He did not come to help those people – they would never have belonged to him.

The U.S. is the Babylon predicted in Revelation that inflicted worldwide pain and suffering and that will be destroyed for doing so.

It is more our fault for allowing it to happen than the fault of the ones doing it. It is natural for them to do it. It is supposed to be natural for us to prevent them from doing it – so what’s our problem? Have we become like them?

http://ariel.org stilo

What the “rich” pay:

the top 10% of EARNERS….40% of all taxes

Sandy the Swede

Three questions for Gary2:
1. Exactly what is my fair share of tax to pay (Fed, state, local, sales, SocSec, real estate)? Let’s say I my gross income is $150,000/yr.
2. Let’s assume that you make $50,000/yr. To how much of my $150,000 are you entitled?
3. How much would my annual gross income have to reach in order for me to be “rich” by your definition?

SirNZ

The conversation seems to always go to tax policy. Taxes have increased on a regular basis for the past 40 years! Unfortunately spending on social programs has increased at a much faster rate. Quit listening to others, and go check out the data yourself!Our politicians have lead all of us to believe they can provide services and programs that are too expensive. In addition, our government is encumbered by extremely high public sector wages for civil employees, and lavish pension plans that no one in the private sector has.
The real problem everyone wants to avoid is government spending.
When you couple that with what Ross Perot warned us about, loss of our manufacturing base, you have a slow motion disaster.
To solve the manufacturing issue means a roll back in regulations, labor laws, union laws, etc. Just reading the comments in this article gives me the feeling that the country still isn’t hurting enough to get focused on the tough task at hand.

d wolfe

I don’t usually read Blogs or whatever you call this forum but decided to do so this AM. I am a little upset at the tone of the comments that seem to do a lot of finger pointing, blaming the wealthy etc. rather than fessing up to some good old personal accoumtability for ourselves. I also wonder if this blogging will produce results or would we be better off to turn off the computer, get off our butts and do something rather than mouth off about it. Back in the 60’s we took to the streets in protest….not what you are doing now.

Aponte

Tom:

Tax cuts for the rich and for corporations is exactly what we need. Make their taxes low, permanent and predictable. This is because we need them to keep and invest their money in the country. The rich are rich because they know how to protect their money–tax them high and you’ll just get pennies, the money will be gone and invested far away.

Try and take a deep look at the problem and you’ll see that the more we have taxed the rich, and the more we have provided welfare and entitlements, the more rich the rich become, the more poor the poor stay and the more screwed the middle class gets because they are who eventually end up paying for the whole thing.

Karen

Great Idea – Instead of giving stimlus money to crooked city & state Governors & Mayors give the money directly to companies that build roads, bridges, etc with demands – YOU MUST HIRE UNEMPLOYED WORKERS –
I live in Arizona and our crooked Governor gave $50 Million to the privately owned jails and $20Million to fix a roof but Medicare Cuts and death panels.
Social Security is due to retirees as they paid into this system all the years that they worked and if GOV stole money out of the system then the GOV must return it or jail time for Fraud & Theft.
Medicare is so full of Fraud – Examples:
Free Diabetes Cookbooks for Medicare Patients(Free for Patients but billed to Medicare)
Arrest & Convict all the Crooks with no exceptions
(Wall Street,Medicare,Pentagon,Governors, Mayors,Senators,ETC)
Lie Detectors for future Hires!!

Nats

Is a goverment that neglects its assigned duty to further its power is it still constitutional?

Kevin Beair

public buses, and governmentn parks and such things are a complete waste of tax payer money anyway, it was all just excuses to take our money, as far as i concerned close it all today.

there were 100 state parks in NY that cut hours, why the hect does NY need 100 state parks?? Why do we need public buses? nobody rides them, look around.

no body uses any of this stuff, this is a total waste of tax payer money in the first place. close it all.

Don

Taxing the successful is not the answer. While emotionally appealing to some, if ALL the incomes of the rich were confiscated, the revenue soon will not satisfy the interest on the Federal debt alone; leave aside all the other commitments. Besides, there are studies that show regardless of the tax rate, evasion and behavioral changes historically result in approximately 19% of GDP as revenue no matter what.

We already know the answer. It is simple but very hard. Study, work your ass off, save money, innovate, build, export, and reinvest. Unfortunately, this is an ethos that half the population (that pay no taxes) do not understand or care to emulate. They are told incessantly that celebrity, sports, or pandering are the path to glory. They only wish to divide the spoils, as one “Reverend” recently exposited to his faithful while they nodded and “Amened” in approbation.

comnenus

>According to the 2010 census, US population grew to approx. 309 million from 300 million in 2000. At our current % growth (about 3% every 10 years), the population would be approx. 318 million in 2020, 327 million in 2030 and about 331 million in 2035. Sort of takes the wind out of your argument, no?

Another government shill exposing himself.

Kevin

Gary2

If you take every dime from every person in the US, rich, middle and poor the debt would still not be paid.

The US standard of living has been declining for over 35 years but this fact has been masked by increasing debt both public and private. If the increased debt never took place the body politic would have felt the economic decine in real time stages as it happened. That would have awakened the body politic and the politicans would have felt it at the polls in subsequent November elections. The course could and probably would have been altered.

Democracy has little chance of functioning as intended if the facts are masked or outright witheld from the citizens. When GDP includes debt and the CPI does not include food and fuel the “facts” obtained are inaccurate. As the phrase goes, “Garbage in, garbage out”.

We’re mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed only BS.

Libs&Rinosuk

Hey Tommy boy!
Cut the bull regarding tax breaks for the wealthy. Most millionaires in this nation are SELF-MADE. They earned their wealth while working building their businesses. And these self-made millionaires EMPLOY PEOPLE, even during this tough economy. Got that Tommy boy? These same wealthy folk pay MOST OF THE TAXES! Let that sink in Tommy. then again, it probably won’t as you are a typical idiot Lib who buys into the class warfare crap. The current administration in DC is turning us into a third world country you left wing twerp!

Rocketman

My opinion is that it is already too late but if this country has any hope at all the government must be DRASTICALLY CUT. I’m not talking about a 10% cut or even 30% cut, I’m talking at least 90%. All the laws limiting business must be rolled back and taxes must be cut to the bone. There will have to be severe cuts in Medicare, Medicade and Social Security. How likely is this to happen? Somewhere between slim and none and slim just left town.

Bruce

Gary you either the biggest loon in all the land or you can think for yourself. Here is an example that even a slow witted liberal like you can understand. The more liberal the state the more broke and over spending. CA, NY IL Mi all useless liberal strongholds. Wow Gary you can just look up at the article and see all the problems in those States. The really great thing about Cold weather beside proving the Globull warming fear mongering are liars is liberals have to keep their hands in their own pockets for a change.

Craig Hodder

For almost a hundred years, this country ran just fine without income taxes and with an honest system of money. In fact, in the first hundred years of its existence, and without income taxes, we became the most prosperous and powerful nation on the planet.

Oh wait. We need to borrow ourselves into prosperity. It’s worked so well since 1865.

notbuyinit

@ Stephen: I like making up numbers too but only when I’m buying lottery tickets. Here is a direct copy and paste from the Census bureau:

In Census 2000, 281.4 million people
were counted in the United States, a
13.2 percent increase from the 1990
census population of 248.7 million.

The change from 2000’s 281.4 million to 2010’s 309 million equates to a 9.1% increase. And by the way look up the meaning of compounded growth i.e. 9.1% on top of 309 million = 337 million. Another decade of 9.1% growth = 367 million. One more decade of the same 9.1% growth experienced between 2000 and 2010 would put the population at 401 million. You and Gary-want-a-cookie would do well to look into getting your GEDs

David

There will come the time when people eventually wake up and wise up, and then rise up for Humanity! This is unsustainable situation in America, and there is no way anyone can stop the collapse of America because that is the way the owners of this country, and I meant the real F&%$$ Owners wanted to F/&%$ things up so they can suck more life out of us! They don´t care about you, me , us or anyone else! the only way to stop those blood suckers is a revolution.

Not to worry folks, the government has found a solution to America’s infrastructure problem thanks to several competent companies in China that have offered the US a great deal fixing our shoddy roads, bridges, and infrastructure. China will send thousands of highly trained workers to take on the jobs that Americans are too good to do themselves. So the next time you drive down the road, or are begging on the corner and notice that the pot holes have been filled remember to thank the Chinese for once again helping America continue to look good.

Brad

if USA not involved in vietnam, iraq, afghanistan etc maybe a lot of money could be used for USA economic goodness..

HBGuy

Yes, infrastructure requirements in the US are enormous. And yes, PUBLIC infrastructure has been woefully underfunded for decades. But, I take disagree with the suggestion that ports, airports, etc. can’t or won’t receive enough funding to meet their needs.

I live in Southern California and have witnessed the growth of the LA/Long Beach ports over the past two decades. Their funding is received from a variety of sources – container fees, etc. – so the “how” is largely dealt with. The bigger issue is the delay faced in obtaining regulatory approval for necessary work, most often, environmental. This needs to be significantly streamlined.

Airports are another case in point. Most airport agencies are locally controlled and have dedicated funding sources, whether through departure taxes, gate fees, etc. The biggest hurdle faced here is regulatory approval to add runways, terminals, etc. And, the air traffic control system, which is funded by the huge taxes levied on airfares, is in many cases collecting dust waiting for the Federal Government to proceed with the necessary ATC upgrades.

Railroads, at least insofar as freight is concerned, are also funded through revenue streams related to freight, etc. They have a good record of expanding and modernizing infrastructure.

Passenger rail is another story. California has received several billion Obama-bucks for high-speed rail, yet the passenger estimates are widely acknowledged to be wildly inflated, and the revenues far lower than proponents have admitted. One wonders why, even though it’s not a 300-km/hr system, the Obama-bucks aren’t being spent electrifying existing lines which would lower operating costs, signficantly speed travel and improve reliability at a much lower cost. The point here is that funding is available but is poorly allocated as currently allocated.

Finally, highway/bridge spending. In California, highway funds from gas taxes, vehicle registrations, etc. have been “borrowed” to cover General Fund deficits, resulting in long project delays. Available revenues, which are usually a fixed amount per gallon/liter (rather than ad valorem) have also dropped because of the economic downturn and conservation. So, funding needs to be dedicated, whether by legal or constitutional means, and it needs to be sufficient for required needs. The latter probably means revenue increases, assuming that there is a large backlog of projects, and ensuring that the work gets done. Again, regulatory delays add to the problem.

My point in all of the above is that in many cases revenue or funding sources for the infrastructure work required already exists, but needs to be protected from being spent on other purposes than that for which it was intended. Some enhancements may be needed, but this shouldn’t be an insurmountable problem.

Cathy

The government doesn’t take the money from the top 1%. Exxon Mobile makes $billions in profits & pays $0 in federal taxes. Wall St. got away with STEALING $trillions, EVEN REWARDED WITH THE TAXPAYER BAILOUT (they gave themselves bonuses). Nobody has been held accountable.
More than 10 yrs. ago I started warning that Wall St. was going to crash & it would be worse than the “Great Depression”. I was told I was crazy & that I didn’t know what the F$*K I was talking about & worse. In 2004-05 I said the housing boom was a bubble & people would lose their homes on a scale much larger than what happened in the late 1970’s early 1980’s. Again people said I was crazy.(I used to have a R.E. license back then).
I even voiced these concerns to my elected reps. & they didn’t believe it. I also knew this because there was NO good-paying jobs boom. In fact wages have been pushed down in some jobs by a whopping 50% since the 1980’s!
Example: In 1980 the meat packing industry USED TO PAY $16-$19 AN HR. WITH BENEFITS! It now pays $8-$13 an hr. no benefits. American citizens used to do this type of job but most were fired & replaced with mostly illegals.
In construction wages were also pushed down because citizens were replaced with mostly illegals.
most of the good paying jobs that allowed this country to have a thriving middle class were outsourced to foreign countries with cheap labor, no environmental laws or any kind of regulations for safety or anything else.
Not only that, this country HAS SOLD OFF A MAJORITY OF IT’S ASSETS! I’m talking about companies that were known world wide as American companies that are NOW FOREIGN OWNED!
RCA, Zenith, Frigidaire, Lucent Technologies, & others. Whole industries now are controlled by foreign businesses & in some instances foreign countries own or control them.
Take Chicago’s parking meters- that have been leased 75-90 yrs.(sold) to DUBAI. On the east coast energy companies are foreign controlled. The list goes on & on….
see: http://www.progressivesforimmigrationreform.org/2009/11/29/the-economic-impacts-of-mass-immigration-into-the-united-states-and-the-proper-progressive-response/

bankstersUSA.org
goldmansachs666.org
numbersusa.com
economyincrisis.org
ampedstatus.com I got the link to this site from ampedstatus.
dissidentvoice.org
Read Matt Taibbi at RollingStone.com
projectcensored.org
These are good points of reference.

Pollution is a serious problem. I remember in the 1960’s when rivers & lakes were igniting because of the chemicals that were dumped in them. Businesses should not be allowed to pollute our environment & get away with it. It’s easier to prevent it from happening than to clean it up after, especially at taxpayer expense.

Dr. Schadenfreude

LOL! I love to watch the left v. right/rich v. labor b!tch, p!$$ and moan about their collapsing crap-spackle, used-to-be nation of ‘Merica. I remember reading in your pathetically nationalistic history texts (perhaps the correct term is “novels” [you should probably stop letting Texans right them, hahahahaha!]) where people used to sacrifice their own lives- right in the streets- to patriotically save the gilded, fabled lost continent of the United States of America (copyright 1776, patented.) (piccolos please.)

I HAVE TO say I rather enjoy watching you all b!tch at each other until something catches fire and the whole “experiment” goes up in flames!

Time to face the facts, folks, the terrorists won.

You’re terrified of the future, your government and each other. There’s not enough left to save anymore- and there “ain’t ‘nuf munny” in heaven to fix this collapsing monument to “white makes right.” Your nation is a zombie waiting for the fire.

Gary2 and William; You two are a pair of broken records with NO original thoughts and until you can come up with some reasonable and logical statements that are based on FACTS, I WISH BOTH OF YOU WOULD JUST SHUT THE F*** UP!!!!!!!

Maria

Boy, we are soooo screwed!

It’s not this article that makes me think so…it’s everyone’s comments…not just here but in lots of other blogs too. There is no way we are going to unite the totally messed up minds of this country…much less the world. Not yet. We haven’t gone through enough pain…yet. More is coming. TSWHTF before we know it.

I’m not just sitting on my keester writing these totally useless comments. My family has bugged out to the hills. We are raising animals, growing non GMO food, homeschooling, target shooting, woodcutting, stocking up and everything else we can to practice survival. It’s forums like this that convinced us to make the change.

I hope all you “tax the rich”, right, left, democrat, republican people out there are prepared to deal with everything your rederic is not fixing. Until people can work out solutions, we are all going to continue the downward spiral into economic collapse.

The elitist banks and corporations are counting on us to do exactly what I see here…the blame game. We are too busy pointing fingers to do anything about solutions.

So, we are screwed.

Hope you have a survival plan, because you are going to need it soon.

http://www.osixs.org morpheus

Wake up people. Talk won’t change a thing. Why did we let things get so bad? Because we don’t know what to do. When your house is on fire, you don’t stand around talking and debating about how hot the fire is. You get hose and put the fire out.

FIGHT THE CAUSE – NOT THE SYMPTOM
We don’t have to live like this anymore. “Spread the News”

Danbo

Fighting over Democrats and Republicans are like fighting over Bloods and Crips. They’re only looking to secure their own power and beat the shit out of the regular guy.

Get a grip on reality and stop the left vs right bullshit.

http://www.danielrevelationbiblestudies.com Robert Stout

Very good article!!! The plans have been laid down for decades and its beginning to come to a finale!!! The Jesuit’s have secretly planned the demise of this country and it’s working!!! The problem will be that they have no idea how this will backfire on them when it’s the right time!!! Your site is absolutely one of my very best sites I enjoy reading, keep up the good work!!!

Gary2

Regardless of what people on this blog say regarding taxing the rich and spreading the wealth (they are all wrong BTW)more and more people say that the solution to our economic woes is to tax the rich more. You can call me all the names you want-LOTS of people agree with me.

My prediction is that the incoming tea bagger republicans will screw things up so badly that we will get single payer and much higher taxes on the rich and less corporate welfare. When us liberals take over again in two years and have to clean up the mess the right caused (again). So I guess I should be thanking the right for single payer. Obama’s health reform insurance mandate will be declared unconstitutional. Medicare is obviously not unconstitutional and people will demand medicare for all. Obama has played the right for the fools they are!

Otown Right Guy

Gary2 that’s the problem. Most Americans are idiots like you. Well not quite as stupid as you but pretty dumb. They want to tax “the rich” more. Rich people being defined as those who make more than them. But that was a CBS poll anyway which give it zero credibility. Gary2 get a skill or learn a trade. You are a worthless, whining loser. Stealing MORE of someone else’s money by taxing them at a higher rate won’t make your life better. Unless your are trying to get a govt. parasite job. Maybe you can get one of those $400K union goon stagehand jobs at Carnegie Hall.

Ron Napier

Gary2 from big Ron
The Rich gave you your job, dummy. All the money has gone to a dozen different social welfare and feel good programs. What did the poor do in the 50s, when there was no welfare ?
We feed them, pay their rent with section 8, give them food stamp cards, cell phones (!!), and spending money. Why should anyone want to look for a job ?

mondobeyondo

Taxation will do little to no good, because the fundamental problem is not one of lack of revenue. It is overspending.

You can tax every single citizen in America until their pants fall off, from Warren Buffett to Joe Six Pack. You will still have a budget deficit.

Unfortunately, we have little choice but to throw our money at the April 15th Death Star. Be happy that your hard earned dollars are going to fund more “bridges to nowhere”. Your (mandatory) contribution will provide about 30 seconds’ worth of fuel for army tanks in Afghanistan. Now get out there and wave that flag!

mondobeyondo

Based on the recent debacle during the East Coast snow storm, Aviation should be given an F minus, at the bare minimum.

Even the damn pigeons were laughing at the side of the runway.

mik

no problems….if the democraps cant help us the republithugs will…………

rufus13

Default now.

What can not be paid WILL NOT BE PAID. I sympathize with those who might try to use foreign or domestic military force to collect.

Default on the debt and start paying cash for real immediate needs. No one will loan us money for a while so we can become honest with ourselves until then.

It’s not going to get better by delaying. It’s going to get WORSE, as we loot 200 years of infrastructure and private portable wealth to make payments to foreign and domestic creditors. When it’s all looted, we can be declared a 3rd world “republic” of neo-serfs and sold as skilled slaves to work awful jobs in other countries to keep our families in 1500 calories a day back home.

Sounds great, eh? If we default on Treasuries and FRN currency now, we build a pretty good new country with just a little temporary discomfort. If we wait, we collapse below getting enough calories to maintain the current population and we have to kill off a bunch of folks (population collapse hitting old and young, sick and weak in the first winter, with less than 70M survivors in North America by the 3rd summer). Expect resistance and a whole lot of infrastructure wreckage in the process. There’s nowhere in the world to run, unless you have already spent 9 figures building it. Look up “One Hundred Heads” to see who gets it first (there are lists).

“Getting guns is easy, but try to get a decent job” -American Apocalypse by Steve/Nova

Cheers.

http://20signs Hotrod

Get the word out no matter how loud “they” laugh at you. You’ll be the one saying “I tried to warn/help you prepare”. I know money is tight right now (understatement), but try to store extra so that you can help those that Even laughed at you! “They” will come around, and will seek you out first for help! God Bless!!

JJKavanaugh

Folks stop blaming the Republicans or the Democrats or the Tea Party or the Progressives or the Mexicans or the Chinese or the weather … just look in the mirror. We did this to ourselves. WE VOTED the idiots in and then didn’t hold them accountable. The Republicans are the party of the wealthy…NO SURPRISE THERE. The Democrats are the party of the poor…NO SURPRISE THERE EITHER. Those of us in the middle trying to make ends meet or at least wave at each other need to take a hard look at BOTH parties. Tax breaks for the rich? More benefits for the unemployeed? EITHER ONE WILL CONTINUE THE DRIVE DOWN. Face it fellow citizens, we can’t afford either one anymore.

SLHaynes

Your reference to the MSNBC article in point 13 says the point is not trustworthy as MSNBC is untrustworthy for the truth. They are only agenda driven. In point 20, I have to say there is a big difference between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands, so which is it?

http://cherylkicksass.blogspot.com Cheryl M.

I read somewhere yesterday that there’s a considerable amount of money set aside for infrastructure that was never spent.

William

Gary2, get a job. People like you who think the “rich” can pay for everything are the whole problem in this country. I’ll bet your idea of YOUR “fair share” is nothing, right?

BobbyL

Our politicians are NOT incompetent! They are traitors who are doing exactly what their globalist banker bosses want.

sos43

Stilo: you’re on the right track, but the statistic is 10% of the top earners pay almost 90% of all taxes. Last year 49% of all income tax filers paid zero taxes, and far too many of them received thousands of dollars in “tax refunds” from the IRS. We’re running out of rich people to soak. The vast majority of americans are content to park in front of their electronic zombie-transformers to notice or worry about the impending collapse of humankind’s latest empire.

Dano

Right, the wealthy pay higher taxes because they earn more. Gee what a concept. If all you can focus upon is material wealth and one’s inherent right to it based upon income then there lies the problem. Who ever said being rich means you’ve actually done much of anything in your life?

Paul Sanko

If we the people put limits on our Senators and Rep.s of two terms and then change the income tax to 2% across the board with NO TAX DEDUCTIONS AT ALL, the US would be out of debt within 5 years and be able to put money into the infrastructure as stated above. We need a National Health Care Plan that covers every citizen 100% but as of now the Insurance lobbies are putting to much pressure on our Rep.s, Make the Lobbies illegal. I can go on but there are ways to correct the problems.

LG

Technically, on paper from an economic standpoint, if the Feds were to spend money on infrastructure (instead of oil wars) – creating jobs – that expense is not seen as a deficit, but an asset. So why aren’t we doing this??!!

mondobeyondo

Taxing the wealthy won’t help at all. Won’t even make a dent in the long run.

But if it makes you feel better that the rich would no longer have their yachts, Ferraris, Gucci handbags and Tiffany jewelry, so be it.

Guess who WOULD have those? The Internal Revenue Service.
And guess who gets your federal taxes every April (assuming you pay taxes)? Yup, the IRS.
So now, after taxes you’re as broke as the formerly wealthy guy.

Great country, huh? Don’t despair, you could be living in Sweden, or Denmark. Talk about heavy taxation! Yikes!!

KaD

Actually, some others are doing well in this downturn. Criminal Banks and their hired thugs (law firms and debt collectors) are thriving. So are prisons as many are privately run and now charge their residents for their upkeep! And the real criminals STILL evade their just deserts because the US government is backing them all the way in destroying the middle class.

Gary2

Great country, huh? Don’t despair, you could be living in Sweden, or Denmark. Talk about heavy taxation! Yikes!!

Where they have universal health care, where they have wonderful social safety nets, better faster internet yeah it would be terrible if the USA could do this for their citizens instead of simply giving the rich tax cuts.

Dunkirk

What Danbo said. Those of you on the democrats vs. republicans, liberal vs. conservative, white vs. black, rich vs. poor schtick just don’t get it. That doesn’t play anymore. The matrix has you… Take the red pill.

What is happening to our country is mostly our fault. We all have succumbed to greed. How many of us borrowed beyond our means during the heady days of the housing boom? How many of us want what’s coming to us from the government, hence from someone else? If spending your way out of debt does not make sense as an individual or family, why should it for a country?

The only way to solve the problem is to take entitlements head-on and cut. And for goodness’ sake to not create any more. Yes, stop the wars and bring the troops home too. But, until we all look in the mirror and decide that the future of children we will never know is more important to us than our promised government benefits, we will not get out of the hole we are in.

wurled peas

I don’t know who this JJKavanaugh idiot is but Democrats are the party of the poor? Tax cuts for the rich? I’m not rich by any stretch of the imagination and if the cuts didn’t remain in place I’d be laying workers in the 14 to 20 dollar an hour range off as of about next month. How was unemployment going to boost their situation?
The Democrat party is run by and for the wealthiest in this nation.(Soros, Gates, Buffet, Diamond, Blankfein etc.)
Democrat welfare policies have chained the poor into a government imposed poverty cycle. The Republicans are no better but propagating the lie that Democrats are somehow looking out for the little guy is just laughable on myriad levels not the least of which is the fact that inflation from all this QE and stimulus bullshirt hurts the poor the most.
JJ, pull your head out.

kc

tax the rich and the rich will leave the country. Hey, they have the money to do so and they would. So, where does that leave us left with? The struggling and ever -diminishing middle class, the poor and the rest of what you see on the streets of any major city. And all of those people combined could not support a country of this size without a major inflation and worse, sudden chaos and insanity.

The IRS is nothing more than the Sheriff of Nottingham. We are all familiar with the Robin Hood myth and the injustices of that society, but unlike in those days where Robin and his gang could simply stop a wealthy lord on his way to the village and strip him of his purse, much of the wealth, or money, these days is virtual money. Kidnap a wealthy guy and how do you strip him of his purse when its all wrapped up in seven layers of encryption code locked up somewhere in some bank in Switzerland. And worse still, it’s jsut some number representing his worth as all of us have.

Imagine, if you will, if we were to all withdraw our cash from the banks, what would happen?

America was founded by colonists that wanted representation-accurate of our values in a parliament that did not understand the life of a colonist. And we all know what happened.

If anyone ever studied their history, you can see it’s repeating itself and that the current government (may i say, probably in the last 50 years or more) has failed represent the people accurately because they are not middle class, working class or homeless. They do not understand what plagues our minds or what goes bump in the night. They are only interested in self-perpetuating their bank account.

DownWithLibs

Gary2-
The mere fact that you keep calling the Tea Party “tea baggers” shows just how small minded and brainwashed you are to the leftist agenda.

Dr Schadenfreude-
So what country is it exactly that you will run to when another nation invades yours? Russia, China. Good luck with that. (P.S. – you may want to start learning Russian or Chinese now while you still can!)

kikusha

Soon US Dollars will not be world’s reserve currency and that will be very good.It will force all the corporations to look for domestic production of wares that are presently imported.Like cookies from Holland and Tmatoes from Nicaragua and ginger from China.Why because they could be paid for by paper dollars that were accpted everywhere.When the dollars are not so accepted, our imports will balance with actual exports and no fancy bonds etc will inflate imports.MORE JOBS FOR Natives of USA.I , therefore, welcome this crisis.It will also take out all the military adventurism that prevails in Lazyboy warriors.

Me and my spouse are not “rich” at all. We’re doing well but we’re not being considered as rich at all. We’re making around 190k last year but after tax and health insurance etc. all we have left is around 120k. We don’t buy house because we are prepared any minute of our life that we’ll move out of this country when the tax is too high to make any sense living here to support lazy people. We don’t mind helping poors who just unfortunate in their life and can’t get out of being poor. But we just don’t feel comfortable to support those healthy and lazy butts like Gary2 who just keep asking sources to hand into their hands without contributing anything to the society.

We’re living in California now and plan to move to Texas soon since there’s no State income tax. Even though they have higher property tax, but we can just rent. We’ve saved all our money as much as possible and move it to overseas to prevent greedy lazy people like Gary2 want a share of it even though we’ve been taxed 1/3 out of it already. For now, we’ll just move out of the distressed California state. If USA keep sinking, we gonna move out the country for good.

I’m sure there are many people who think like us, especially those who are really rich. Gary2’s simple-mined doesn’t understand that when enough is enough people will try their best to get out of it. It’s not like he said that you can keep taxing the rich and spread the money!! In your dream.

emma

I live #14 Over the past year, approximately 100 of New York’s state parks and historic sites have had to cut services and reduce hours.

People are looking for signs of weakness in the big areas and busineses. But they are looking in the wrong areas.

One major oversight is the American people. We are letting ourselves become a bunch of lazy, uneducated fools that feel entitled to what others have. We are overrun by illegals and other groups (blacks, white trash, etc.) that do not put an emphasis on education. God has been stripped from everything and more and more kids are born into single parent homes. Look at black children where 70% have no father present. That is not a recipe for success.

If you think there is a racial undertone here, there is. White people (especially white liberals) have let the low rent minority culture take over as opposed to fighting for the culture that made America a great nation.

No God, no family, no country. It all falls apart.

V

SKjohn. You are 1000% correct! Proud of 2000 years of western civilization and the people who sacrificed to make America great. Too bad their efforts may not be enough to sustain us any further. If we don’t turn it around now the American experiment will be history. You’ve correctly identified some of our problems.

mike walsh

I am happy to see that I’m not alone. I have been going through the numbers, seeing the moral and Government decay. I am white, middle age late
30’s, educated and unprepared. Wondering the time line??? One year?? 2 years??? I’m thinking we could get away with printing money for a few’s, but who knows…. I am in Texas, so I should be better off than most of the country..

Ernst Schneider

exactly!

godgirl

Being American is a privelege not a right. As mean as it sounds..WE NEED TO KEEP THE AMERICAN DREAM STRIVING by giving the American work and everyone else has to go home. No more have a baby in the US and now your a citizen.

Pay me to protect the boarders and I will send my own illegal family home. We speak english here and english needs to be the main language. If you cannot raise your right hand and put it over our heart and say the pledge of allegience, then go away. I love all people, but enough is enough.

If you get welfare, then you can go out and pick up trash on the local highways and earn the money you get for free. Forget this disability income. Too many lazy people collecting because they do not want to work. If you are foreigner and you cannot work…guess what you have to go home.

I am done and I am through with all of it. when I walk in a store and they do not speak english, I walk out. When I make a phone call for AT&T or Dish Network or any company with an american name and a foreign rep answers, I hang up. Shame on our American Companies… It our way or the highway….

A bemused englishman

lol… so by your definition how far back does your ancestry have to go before you find out that you’re an immigrant to make you ‘american’ and therefore be allowed to claim welfare?

I’d have thought that according to what you said everyone but the native indians should leave…

as for the pledge… why should someone be expected to pledge their allegiance to the american government? I mean isn’t it partially the government’s fault that you’re in this mess in the 1st place? funnily enough it isn’t native americans that thought up the pledge of allegiance… :p

BigJack

“America The Beautiful”. Maybe a few years ago, but today its “America The Gimme Gimme Gimme”. We are broke, and our people don’t care. Its a shame that even though the well is clearly dry, we will still crawl into that hole with our little tin cups and paw at what little bit of moist dirt remains. Im ashamed at a government that will continue to attack our veterans and elderly, while millions of lazy Americans, people that continue to bear children they can’t care for and drug addicts continue to get a free ride. How can you recieve an income tax check IF YOU DIDN”T HAVE AN INCOME? How can you live in section 8 housing, or collect welfare for 20 YEARS? “Why are we broke”? I think the question is “Why weren’t we broke sooner”.

jeff

Hi, I’m from Nova Scotia, Canada and all I can say is I’m glad I’m not in any of your shoes cause your country sucks.

Bradon

I’m Canadian too, but I don’t know what your thinking we stink too, for falling into there trap. Such a collapse right next door to us, will obviously effect us. The US collapse will effect the whole globe.

http://aim.com bob barnley

idk whats guuna happen to earth!

Dave Kurtz

The most unsafe place to be in the United States when the SHFT will be in the city, i.e., New York, Philly, LA., etc.

You will need a vehicle that holds enough gas and/or gets enough gas mileage to directly get across the Canadian border safely non-stop.

Stopping anywhere in a vehicle will get you
hi-jacked, shot at, or mugged. Gas will be almost impossible to get, as well as food or water. Get to the border…

Having a survival kit ready to go is essential.

When the SHFT, immediately flee to Canada and then out… to your favorite vacation spot.

Having a duel citizenship helps, Canada and the United States, but not necessary to visit.

A valid passport, state driver’s licence, and birth certificate handy is a must.

You can transfer money from one account to another by the click of a button, having an
overseas bank account(s), do not invest in America, you are only allowed to carry 10k with you, besides, you are NOT going to be able to withdraw any of you money from a U.S. bank, stocks, mutual funds when the SHTF.

See you there…

Bradon

In such a situation how’s that possible. Driving to Canada yea but that scenario, no. Because if shtf they will obviously have boarder occupied with martial law style check points but it’s a boarder so obviously more then a check point. What are you gonna tell them “I’m going on vacation up in Quebec or somewhere else” “I’m visiting family members who live in Fredericton, New Brunswick” even if you aren’t lying they know your trying to elude the wrath of there authority they clearly know where your coming from and leaving at such a time when alls spiraling down they know your trying to get away. And if you do get in where are you gonna go I hope you have survival skills necessary cause I’m not welcoming any American into are country when we’re already in deep enough too harboring thousands of Americans fleeing will only bring the Canadian Martial Law into are towns trying to hunt out the evading Refugee Americans. because the elites work together.

mike walsh

I see Texas succeeding from the Union,
creating alliances with Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mexico. Keep Business tax’s low and find ways
to bring all our resources together and think of ideas how to compete with world! People tend to see the negative side of a diverse culture but in Texas we have a talented pool to choose from. Think of this, we work with Latin America, Panama Canal?? Think
of the Leverage and ability to improve the standard of living in Mexico and Latin America… I have decided to learn Spanish…

Big changes are coming, hope your
ready, not sure if I am…

Dan

Crime rates have skyrocketed in the past decade. In the US many programs for rehabilitation have been cut, prisons are lacking services and are over crowded, and since the US economy is in the toilet theft, muggings, robberies, and home invasions have been steadily climbing and spreading to areas that usually have low crime rates. Also drug and alcohol abuse have risen dramatically. One nice places like New England are crime ridden and poor. Shocking news reports say that in 2010 that the state of Maine had “the highest prescription drug abuse problem in the nation” also Maine was said to have “more babies addicted to pain killers” because of mothers addicted to pills (this was done on a ratio to other more larger populated states). Even lately you’ve seen that woman attack in 2013 in NJ in her own home by a man that broke in to rob her right in front of her 3 year old girl.

Pakistan

Rome,Russia and all great empires and states fell apart because of wars. USA is destroying its self by its own hand because in Iraq and Afghanistan war USA lost thousands of trillions of dollars and lost almost one fifth of its total army.